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'The Wire' and 'Boardwalk Empire' star Michael K. Williams found dead

Michael K. Williams, an actor best known for his role as Omar Little on HBO's The Wire, has died. He was 54.

Williams was found dead in his New York City apartment on Monday afternoon (local time), a law enforcement official told CNN.

Investigators found drug paraphernalia near his body, the official said. The investigation is ongoing, according to another law enforcement source who spoke to CNN.

LIVE UPDATES: PM given exemption for Father's Day travel

"It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss," his long-time rep Marianna Shafran of Shafran PR told The Hollywood Reporter.

CNN has contacted representatives of Williams for comment.

In a 2017 interview with the New York Times, Williams spoke openly about his struggles with substance abuse.

"Addiction doesn't go away," he said at the time.

"It's an everyday struggle for me, but I'm fighting."

Williams, a Brooklyn native, most recently appeared in HBO's Lovecraft Country and the series F Is for Family.

He became an almost iconic figure for many thanks to his role in The Wire as Omar Little, a shotgun-wielding character who made his living robbing drug dealers.

He followed that up as a mobster in the HBO Prohibition-era mob drama Boardwalk Empire and most recently earned an Emmy nomination for another series on the pay network, the macabre Lovecraft Country.

Williams was next slated to co-star in Sony's George Foreman biopic from George Tillman Jr., who was set to direct.

Williams amassed a number of accolades during his storied career, including five Emmy nominations.

His first was in 2015 for his role in Bessie and another followed two years later for his part in The Night Of.

He was also the winner of a SAG Award for best ensemble with the cast of Boardwalk Empire.

On social media, Williams' many colleagues and friends recalled the depth, complexity and humanity he brought to his characters on screen and, above all, the man he was off-screen.

"Michael K Williams was a beautiful, passionate, expansive soul. I felt so lucky to have known him, and we were all so fortunate to have enjoyed his incredible talent," Aisha Tyler wrote on Twitter.

"He burned so very bright."

Director James Gunn added: "Michael K Williams, in addition to being one of the most talented actors around, was also one of the kindest, sweetest, most gentle souls I've ever met. This is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with all those who loved him."

Musician Saul Williams wrote: "For years Wikipedia listed Michael K. Williams as my brother. Neither one of us chose to correct it, instead we took it at its word. 'We're brothers, yo.' He shared poems with me. We broke bread & kicked it whenever we could. A deep & sincere connection. A beautiful spirit."

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Australian woman who lost parents in MH17 angry at Russian role

An Australian woman whose parents were killed in the the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has given powerful testimony in a Dutch court.

Vanessa Rizk was just 22 when she lost her parents Albert and Maree Rizk, from Sunbury, Victoria, on July 17, 2014, as a Buk missile blew the Boeing 777 heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur out of the sky above eastern Ukraine.

Ms Rizk pointed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government as part of the "political nightmare" that caused the crash during her statement to the Dutch court via video link.

READ MORE: Lawyer says families of MH17 victims want compensation

"Seven years on, I am determined that you will never, ever break my spirit and capacity to live and love, just as my parents would have wanted me to," Ms Rizk said.

There were 38 Australian residents and citizens among those killed.

Under Dutch law, the relatives are allowed to make a victim impact statement to the court, without being asked questions. About 90 people plan to do so over the next three weeks, some speaking via live video links from other countries.

READ MORE: Russia taken to top human rights court over MH17 downing

Albert and Marie Rizk, who died on flight MH17. Picture: Supplied

"How would they feel if their life was caught up in a political nightmare that their country wasn't even involved in," Ms Rizk asked.

"How would Putin and his corrupt Russian government answer that."

"I still cannot fathom that our family is caught up in a frustrating and deadly political crisis," Ms Rizk said.

"To the perpetrators, seven years ago, you broke up my family in the worse way imaginable."

Australians were among other relatives who gave testimony on Monday (Netherlands time).

Since her father and stepmother died in Ria van der Steen has been dealing with feelings of hate, revenge, anger and fear.

She is not alone. Seven years later, Sander Essers still feels guilty about the death of his brother. And for Peter van der Meer, Father's Day has become the one of the most horrible days of the year, following the loss of his three daughters aged 12, 10 and 7 in the crash.

"I'm a father without children, a childless father," he said in an emotional speech. "It has been so for seven years, and for all the years to come."

"I think probably next to the verdict, it is one of the most important days for the family members, because they can speak to the court, but through speaking to the court, they speak to the suspects and also to the responsible people wherever they are hiding," said Peter Langstraat, a lawyer representing victims' relatives. "So this is a form of communication with the people who are responsible for this disaster."

MH17 five year anniversary

Ms Van der Steen was the first to speak Monday, telling the court about the psychological consequences of the tragedy on her life.

All dressed in black in the courtroom at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam, van der Steen spoke at length about the nightmares that woke her up screaming and of the impossible goodbye to her loved ones.

"I had to say my goodbye to them so often," she said. "The question is: How many times can you say goodbye? And when is goodbye forever?"

Ms Van der Steen said she began to have nightmares soon after learning about the death of her relatives, who had been on their way to holidays to Borneo. In her dreams, she walked across fields in Ukraine looking for her father to let him know he had died.

"I saw the wreckage, bodies, personal effects," she recalled, "I could not stop crying until I woke up screaming."

READ MORE: MH17 defendant 'lurking in fog': court

After first being told it would not be possible to identify the bodies of her loved ones, van der Steen finally learned that her father had been identified thanks to a tiny piece of bone of his hand.

"Happily, we received news soon after that a small piece of bone of (my stepmother) Neeltje was found and that she, too, was identified," said van der Steen, recalling how shocked she was when presented with the two small bags of bones.

"I knew it was them, but emotionally I did not want to accept it," she told the court.

Mr Essers said his brother Peter called him about 20 minutes before boarding the plane.

"In a gloomy voice he said to me, literally: 'Sander I'm afraid that I'm not going to come back alive.' Later he said: 'We're flying over a war zone.' He was dead scared and asked me urgently whether or not he should board the plane."

READ MORE: Australian police helped prove missile downed MH17 jet

Mr Essers said he felt he should reassure his brother.

"I often suddenly feel that I am partly to blame for his death," he said.

The trial opened in March 2020 and progressed through a long series of preliminary hearings before lawyers began discussing the merits of the case in June. The complex case is expected to continue into next year.

After a years-long painstaking international investigation, prosecutors charged four suspects — Russians Igor Girkin, Sergey Dubinskiy and Oleg Pulatov as well as Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenko — with multiple counts of murder for their alleged involvement in shooting down the flight.

Prosecutors say the plane was shattered in mid-air when it was hit by a Buk missile system trucked into Ukraine from a Russian military base. Russia denies any involvement in the downing.

None of the suspects has appeared in court and only one — Pulatov — has lawyers representing him at the trial. They have said he denies the charges.

"They are lying, we know they are lying and they know that we know that they are lying," said van der Steen, saying that she was quoting the late Soviet dissident novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Last week, investigators appealed to Russians to come forward with information about the deployment of the missile that investigators say downed the plane.

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The moment AJ is reunited with mum

A toddler who has been missing in the New South Wales Hunter Region for four days has been found alive, with family celebrating in emotional scenes on their rural property.

Police said three-year-old Anthony "AJ" Elfalak was located shortly before 12pm, several kilometres from his home in Putty.

PolAir spotted AJ in a creek bed, drinking water from it.

READ MORE: State's hard border could stay until 2022

'AJ' was found in a creek on his family's property drinking water from it.Missing NSW toddler Anthony "AJ" Elfalak .

READ MORE: Police issue $21,000 in fines after Nadia Bartel video leaked

"They were able to clearly identify a small boy in a puddle in a creek bed," Commander of the Hunter Valley Police District, Tracy Chapman, said.

The little boy smiled when he was found by SES, Hunter Region SES Commander Chief Inspector Simon Merrick added.

"Our first member that reached him found him kneeling in the riverbed," Mr Merrick said.

"They put a hand on his shoulder and comforted him, he went on our rescuer's knee and a big smile towards him as well and they embraced at that moment."

Ms Chapman said the fact he was drinking from the creek helped him survive.

"I think so close to water is potentially what gave him that opportunity to survive," she said.

The moment little AJ was reunited with his mum, after SES members found the child sitting in a creek bed.

"Certainly, experts that we've consulted, if he had access to water, it was always going to be able to survive the longest period of time with dehydration being the issue so he obviously found some water and was able to access that, was clearly drinking it.

"It is obviously something which assisted in him surviving."

Special Operations Team Paramedic Gerry Pyke from NSW Ambulance said it was "remarkable" AJ was in such good health.

"It was evident that he is a little survivor. By the time I got to him, the SES had done a wonderful job in winning over his spirits," Mr Pyke said.

"He had some lacerations on his lower legs. He was very, very thankful. His temperature was great.

"He did have a bit of a nappy rash."

Police will continue to investigate the circumstances of the past few days.

The family released a statement thanking police, emergency services, and the public for their help.

"Our family is together again. For that we are grateful to everyone who has assisted in any way over the last three days," the statement reads.

"Thank you to the NSW Police, Rescue Services, volunteers, community members, friends and family who have worked tirelessly to find AJ.

"AJ is fine. Hold your kids close.

"Please give our family the privacy to appreciate what we have."

The creek was about 500 metres from the home and had been searched numerous times over the weekend.

'A miracle': Toddler's dad

AJ's father and namesake Anthony said the boy's survival was "a miracle".

He said AJ had suffered nappy rash, scrapes from falls, and had been bitten by ants. He is now being taken to hospital with his mother Kelly.

"I was stoked," Mr Elfalak said of the moment he found out his son was alive.

"It saved my wife from going insane, pretty much, I think.

"He's alive. It's amazing."

Mr Elfalak spent four days searching in the bush "without sleep" in an effort to find his son.

He said the three-year-old lit up when he heard his mother's voice. He clung to her and fell asleep in her arms.

AJ was spotted by a helicopter near a creek bank and rescued then by SES volunteers.

Mr Elfalak said AJ had been drinking water in the creek.

Family friend and godfather Alan Hashem told 9News the family was overjoyed.

AJ Elfalak

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"I haven't slept for three days. I haven't slept," Mr Hashem said.

"I would jump all over you guys and hug and kiss you but I will keep my distance."

AJ has since been reunited with his parents and brothers, while he is being assessed by paramedics at the search command post.

Images from the home showed the boy's loved ones celebrating and crying as they received the news.

AJ's brother Patrick told 9News he hadn't given up hope.

https://twitter.com/nswpolice/status/1434694320011894785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"At first I thought we wouldn't find him but I knew the helicopters would find him because the helicopters are very high up, they can see anything," he said.

A relative told 9News AJ appeared to be "good" and "looked fine".

AJ, who is on the autism spectrum and is non-verbal, went missing last week from his family's rural property at Putty.

Temperatures in the area had dropped to as low as 3C early this morning, while there has also been rain in recent days.

Police had earlier seized a white ute and checked an abandoned property nearby, with the family fearing he might have been kidnapped.

Missing toddler's father overjoyed son has been found

READ MORE: White ute among items seized in search for missing NSW toddler

Mr Hashem earlier told Today that AJ's older brothers were looking after him, and that the three-year-old vanished when one had to go to the bathroom.

"We thought, if AJ's gone somewhere, it's not going to be far," he said.

He said the family took four ATVs and covered thousands of square metres in a frantic search.

Mr Hashem also claimed CCTV cameras he had installed on the property had footage missing of the time that AJ disappeared.

"We installed it so high you can't tamper with it and we had two mechanisms of storage, cloud storage and physical storage, and there's no data in that time slot," he said. 

"We provided the user name and password to the police, we provided them the actual original memory card."

Mr Hashem said the family were the "loveliest people" and had suffered greatly during the ordeal, as the search entered its fourth day this morning.

"You don't understand how much pain and anguish this family's feeling," he said.

"The reason why I am the spokesperson is because the mother is not coping and the father, he's holding it together by a thread."

Mr Hashem thanked the police searchers and SES volunteers for their "absolutely phenomenal" response to the emergency.